Tuesday, March 12, 2013

One small sip for Manhattan...

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg vowed on Monday to appeal a judge's ruling that struck down his pioneering ban on large sugary drinks sold by the city's restaurants, movie theaters and other food service businesses just a day before it was to take effect.

The judge called the ban "arbitrary and capricious" in an 11th-hour decision that dealt a serious blow to Bloomberg, who has made public health a cornerstone of his administration, with laws prohibiting smoking in restaurants, bars and parks; banning trans fats; and requiring chain restaurants to post calorie counts.

At a press conference, Bloomberg said the judge's ruling was "totally in error" and promised to keep pressing his effort to combat a growing obesity epidemic linked to heart disease and diabetes.

Unfortunately the judge seems to have opened the door to the Mayor's extending the ban to everyone who sells such drinks, not just restaurants subject to the city's health authority--which doesn't, apparently, include 7-11s and other convenience stores.

Maybe those researchers in PNAS should evaluate Bloomberg's 'likes', and see what they tell us about HIS personality.